Ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore charged with home invasion, stalking, breaking and entering

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — An external investigation into former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with a female staffer has expanded to include the athletic department’s handling of the situation and other sports scandals.

In an email to faculty and students on Thursday, Michigan president Domenico Grasso encouraged anyone with information to contact Jenner & Block, the outside law firm conducting the investigation. A source briefed on the investigation confirmed that Grasso’s email was part of the expanded inquiry.

“All of the facts here must be known,” Grasso wrote.

The findings of the investigation could have implications for the future of athletic director Warde Manuel, who has been under scrutiny for his handling of the situation involving Moore and other athletic department scandals. While Jenner & Block conducts its investigation, Manuel remains Michigan’s athletic director and is conducting the search for Moore’s replacement.

“It’s our obligation to see where that (investigation) goes,” said the Michigan source briefed on the investigation.

Moore, 39, was arraigned Friday on charges of third-degree home invasion, breaking and entering and stalking. Prosecutors allege he confronted the female staffer and threatened suicide after she disclosed the relationship to investigators, prompting Moore’s firing on Wednesday. He was released from jail Friday afternoon, a Washtenaw County jail official told The Athletic.

Moore must be tethered to a GPS as part of his bond condition and continue mental health treatment.

The home invasion charge is a felony, while the stalking and breaking and entering charges are misdemeanors.

At Wednesday’s arraignment, prosecutor Kati Rezmierski said Moore and the female staffer “had an intimate relationship for a number of years.” After the woman broke off the relationship Monday, Rezmierski said, Moore made numerous phone calls and sent numerous text messages that she did not want. The woman then disclosed the relationship to Michigan, which had been investigating the relationship through an outside law firm, Jenner & Block.

At 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, police were called to the listed address of the female Michigan football staffer, according to police dispatch. Police also sent officers to the listed address of Moore and Schembechler Hall, Michigan’s practice facility, according to the police dispatch.

In a news release, the Pittsfield Township Police Department said Moore went to the woman’s residence unarmed and entered through an unlocked door without permission. In the course of a verbal argument, Moore “picked up two butter knives and a pair of scissors from within the residence and threatened to harm himself,” police said.

Rezmierski told the judge that Moore made a series of threatening statements to the woman, including, “I’m going to kill myself. I’m going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You ruined my life.” Moore then left the residence, police said.

At 4:53 p.m., officers said Moore’s wife told them he was in an “unknown parking lot,” according to police dispatch. She later informed police that Moore’s phone had pinged at Well Church in Saline, a city about 10 miles southwest of Ann Arbor. At 5:16 p.m., he was detained at the church as part of an alleged assault investigation, according to Pittsfield Township police.

Moore was transported to a hospital for evaluation before being taken to the Washtenaw County jail, the police department said.

Moore, 39, is represented by Ann Arbor attorney Joseph Simon, who told reporters after the arraignment that he had not seen a police report and declined to comment on Moore’s mental state.

The charges could result in up to six years of jail time.

In an email to University of Michigan students and faculty on Thursday, Michigan president Domenico Grasso touted the school’s quick action in firing Moore for violating university policy and pledged that the investigation into Moore’s behavior would continue. Grasso encouraged anyone with information about the matter to send a confidential email to a law firm. “All of the facts here must be known,” he wrote.

Grasso’s email echoed a statement from athletic director Warde Manuel on Wednesday: “This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”

Moore previously served as an assistant coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff from 2018 to 2023. The Wolverines were 17-8 during his tenure, including a 9-3 finish this season. Associate head coach Biff Poggi will be Michigan’s interim head coach for the Citrus Bowl against Texas on Dec. 31.